Tuesday, October 17, 2006

John James, Independence Party candidate for Attorney General, saysMike Hatch "Asleep at the Wheel" on MVST

"The Attorney General should be the guardian of the Minnesota stateConstitution," John James, Independence Party candidate for AttorneyGeneral, said today.

Instead, Attorney General Mike Hatch and his deputy, Lori Swanson, were"asleep at the wheel," he said, in failing to protest a Constitutionalamendment dedicating the Motor Vehicle Sales Tax (MVST) totransportation purposes.

"The question before the public is not whether we need more money forroads and transit," James said. "The question is whether we want tomake the state's budget one Constitutional amendment at a time. Settingtoday's already antiquated tax laws in concrete in the Constitutionmight make it impossible to modernize Minnesota's fiscal systems to fitthe 21st century economy in which we are living."

James also said that the Constitutional amendment is virtuallymeaningless, because the funds in question are already available to thegovernor and legislature. The funds could be appropriated to theproposed purpose?the enhancement of Minnesota's transportationsystem?at any time.

"By falling asleep at the wheel on this issue, Mike Hatch and LoriSwanson let the governor and the Legislature off the hook," James said."They would pass off on the public the difficult decisions that ourrepresentatives are elected to make. As Attorney General, I would doeverything in my power to prevent the Minnesota Constitution frombecoming cluttered with picayune, day-to-day operational issues thatour elected officials are supposed to resolve."

John James is the Independence Party candidate for Minnesota AttorneyGeneral. He is part of Team Minnesota with Peter Hutchinson forGovernor, Dr. Maureen Reed for Lieutenant Governor, Lucy Gerold forState Auditor, and Joel Spoonheim for Secretary of State. As TeamMinnesota's Attorney General, John James will make sure that the lawworks for all Minnesotans. He will help shape the laws needed to moveMinnesota forward on the things that matter?education, health care,transportation and the environment.